You have to do something. Your baby is suffering colic and it is tearing out your heart to watch them. Not only are the cranky cries and screaming of a colicky, formula-fed baby heartbreaking to witness, but the stress of doing without sleep along with the frustration and irritability is taking a toll on you as a parent.

If you have been told that a colic formula will help ease your child's distress then this article can help you learn how to choose a formula for colic that is the best for you and your baby.

What is a Colic Formula?

Lots of parents, concerned family members and friends spend lots of time looking on the web for "colic formulas" or "baby formulas for colic". In actuality there is no true colic formula for infants mainly because no one is quite certain of the primary cause of colic.

People often hear many conflicting theories as to the causes for colicky babies: from poor parenting skills, to the baby not being breastfed, etc. and the list goes on and on. First of all lets clear away some of the misconceptions. Colic is not caused by bad parents..

There was a multinational medical study done that proved that factors like time spent interacting with an infant and whether it was breastfed vs. formula-fed had absolutely no bearing on if a baby gets the colic or not.

In fact, while colic is a benign medical condition that can start as early as 2 weeks and last as long as 90 days, almost 1/3 to 1/2 of all babies become colicky. Many in the medical community now think that colic is just a development phase caused by poor digestion and swallowed air.

So you can see that a "colic formula" is really just a matter of finding out which type of formula your baby can digest the best or with the least amount of colic warning signs.

What Not to Do When Choosing a Colic Formula

You shouldn't just switch out or change your baby's formula, looking for a better colic formula without first consulting with your family doctor or pediatrician. Doctors are great sources of information on your baby's nutritional needs and can help you choose between the many different formulas for colic available to you.

There are basically 7 kinds of formulas available in today's marketplace: Cow's Milk (the most common formula around the world); Soy (the second most common and often used a formula for colic in babies with milk allergies); Reduced Lactose and Lactose-Free (that used for babies which can tolerate milk but are lactose-intolerant).

There is also some special formulas like Rice Starch (which is added for infants that have problems with acid reflux); Elemental (this is a unique colic formula made from casein hydrolysate proteins which easy to digest and absorb for babies with special needs) and Amino Acid is a hypoallergenic formula which is for use in very severe cases and should only be used under the care of a doctor.

What Do When Choosing a Colic Formula?

First off take your child to a healthcare professional to make sure that the baby is normal and fit without any undetected infections or medical issues. Next do your homework, learn more about colic formula tips and then work with your doctor to find the right formula for colic for your child.